Shoulder To Lean On
by Kime Tara
Summary: Your typical KurtOroro fic...something I wrote a while ago and felt like putting out. Takes place after X-men 2.


**Shoulder To Lean On**

By Kimetara

One-shot

Disclaimer: X-men doesn't belong to me.

          Ororo Munroe wearily left the mansion behind her.  It was late, and she had many tests left to grade before the morning, but...a break was desperately needed.

          Not just from test-grading.  From the whole mansion.  The tension, the mourning...  Ororo hugged herself lightly.  The atmosphere was heavy with grief, and she already had enough to deal with.

          After all, she had always been the caretaker of her friends.  She had always been the one for late night talks, for advice and comfort.  And she had never asked for any of that in return.

          She had felt Scott's grief, Logan's sorrow, and her heart broke each time.  She would never ask somebody to take that burden from her, and nobody ever offered.

          Why should they?  She was Storm, powerful, beautiful, calm and controlled.  Why would they believe that she ever needed to be upheld?  She was the independent, the strong one.  Yes, Jean was her best friend, but look! she was doing so well dealing with it compared to Scott and Logan.  _Storm must be fine, they say,_ she thought tiredly.  Of course.  She was always fine.  

          Ororo didn't have the energy to be bitter.

          It was cold outside.  For a moment, she considered altering her body temperature, then decided against it.  It wasn't by any means freezing, and the cold was...exhilarating, in a sense.  She stopped walking, lifting her head up to face the stars.

          Then she fell.

          Kurt Wagner sat meditatively in his tree, tail wrapped around a branch, enjoying the quiet of the dark.  He was born to be a night creature.  He smiled at the thought, amused at himself, as his prayer beads rotated slowly though his hands and his gaze peered through the sky.

         _Hmmm_.  Odd, how quickly the clear stars were covered with clouds.  Very odd.  Even stranger the light drizzle beginning to fall.  Drizzle?  Change that to a drenching rain.

          Gracefully, Kurt leapt down onto the wet grass.  Perhaps he'd go find _Fraulein _Ororo.

          He checked the house first, but almost immediately he could tell she was not within its walls.  It felt empty of her presence, and after a mere cursory glance he turned back around and went outside.

          Kurt didn't think about where he was going, he simply let his feet move.  They always found Ororo eventually.  They grass was long, shimmering, and idly he noticed that he was getting soaked.  Interesting, that there was no thunder with this storm.  It was almost...too calm.  Tired, as if there was not enough spark to create lightening.

          Suddenly he froze, staring, before breaking into a run.

          "Ororo!" he called, a hint of panic in his voice.

          "Ororo!"  He had reached her side now and kneeled next to her unmoving body.  Hesitantly, Kurt reached out to touch her, then drew back, his tail swishing back and forth agitatedly.

          She was lying prostrate on the grass, her long hair tumbled so that it masked her face.  She was also completely drenched, with her clothes pressing closely to her body.

          "Ororo..._liebchen_..." he spoke softly, worriedly, finally bringing himself to touch her shoulder.  She was so cold...what if...?

          To his immense relief, the woman stirred.  Ororo lifted her head, her hair still providing a curtain to hide her face.  "Kurt?"

          "_Mein Gott_," Kurt sighed.  "Ororo, I was nearly scared to death!  Come, we must go inside before we get sick."  He watched her closely.  Worry was still alive and strong in him, but he did his best to mask it.  Still, his tail kept alternating between stiffness and nearly frantic loops.

          Ororo nodded, and he saw her muscles tense as she propped herself up on her elbows.  Abruptly, they relaxed, and she drooped forward.  She stayed motionless, not attempting to pull herself up any further.

          "Ororo?"  Kurt touched her shoulder again.  "Are you...alright?"

          Ororo didn't answer, but she resumed her struggle.  After a short bit, she managed to move into a sitting position, Kurt anxiously ready to assist her if needed.  It was obvious his _liebe_ was not- his _liebe_?  Kurt mentally smacked himself, this was not the time!

          "Ororo?  What is wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her.  He barely caught his tail from wrapping around waist.

          "...it's nothing, Kurt.  I'm fine," she answered at last.  Kurt nearly scoffed.

          "Don't lie to me, _liebchen_.  You are obviously not very fine."  He tilted his head, trying to see her face.  Unthinkingly, his tail moved to push back that drape of white hair.

          Kurt saw immediately he was right.  She was not fine.  She was tired, and empty, and hurting.  "Ororo..."

          Ororo turned her gaze to meet his, unaware of how pleading her eyes were.  Kurt softened.  "Tell me what's wrong," he commanded quietly, bypassing his usual shyness by placing his arm around her shoulders.

          For a second, she stayed stiff, before giving in.  Ororo moved closer to Kurt, burying her face in the crook of his neck as her arms wrapped around his body.  The rain fell harder as she cried.

          Kurt returned the embrace, now allowing his tail to coil around her waist as his hands moved soothingly up and down her back.  "Shh..._liebe_...it's alright..." he murmured, repeating them over and over in her ear.  She was so cold...why hadn't she adjusted her body temperature?  Kurt shook his head, the more important question was why was she so distraught?

          He glanced upwards.  As much as he loved holding her – Kurt closed his eyes in pained delight – they did need to get inside.  "Come, _liebchen_," he shifted, "we truly must be going in."  She nodded, but didn't move.  After a moment of indecision, Kurt slowly stood up, lifting Ororo up in his arms.  She didn't resist, so he began the walk back to the mansion.

          Twenty minutes later, Kurt and Ororo were inside, Ororo shivering and wrapped in a blanket on the couch while Kurt started the fireplace going.

          Once the fire was steady, he sat beside the woman, waiting.  She had thankfully stopped crying, and an easy quiet filled the room.  His tail swayed in a slow rhythm.

          "Thank you."  Kurt glanced sharply at Ororo, who was staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

          "You are welcome.  How do you feel?"

          "Tired," she admitted, relaxing against the back of the couch.  Kurt listened attentively, silently urging her to continue.

          "Things have been so draining since...since she died."  Ororo swallowed.  "With Scott – and Logan – so upset, and Jean gone, there's been so much more work to do.  But that's not it," she hurried, "if it was just paperwork, I'd be fine.  But...they're hurting so much.  And..."

          "And you worry for them," Kurt finished when she paused.

          "Yes.  I do, so much.  And they talk to me, Kurt.  They...they come to me to be their shoulder to lean on."  Ororo sighed.  "I'm grateful to be the one that they talk to, but...with all this extra work, and Scott and Logan grieving, and having to now be the leader of the X-men...it's overwhelming."  There.  She said it.  Ororo hated having to confess she was in over her head, but she felt curiously relieved to have finally revealed it.

          "I am not surprised.  You carry far too many burdens for one person.  Even," he smiled, "a weather goddess."

          Ororo smiled back doubtfully.  "You think so?"

          "Certainly!"  Kurt looked surprised.  "You are strong, beautiful, and capable, _ja_, but too much is too much."

          She paused momentarily at being called beautiful, then shook her head.  "Still, there is nothing else to do.  I will have to-"

          "You will have to speak with _Herr_ Professor and ask to have a lesser workload," Kurt interrupted.  He grinned at her frown.  "I am sure he will agree.  In truth, I am surprised you were given so many tasks to begin with."

          "He didn't," she replied dryly.  "I asked for them."

          "Then you were being very foolish, _liebchen_.  Everyone has their limits, _ja_?"  His tail wrapped firmly around her wrist, emphasizing his point.  This was one time he had put his foot down.

          Ororo looked stubborn, but she gave in.  "I suppose," she admitted grudgingly.  Kurt nodded, satisfied, and his tail unwound.

          "You should be going to bed now, Ororo.  It's late, and you are very tired."  He stood up and offered a hand, which she accepted.  Kurt pulled her up gently.

          To his surprise, Ororo didn't let go.  She stepped closer, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles.  Kurt's eyes widened.

          "Thank you again."  Ororo leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, before releasing his hand and sweeping gracefully away.  He stared after her, his hand unconsciously rising to his face.

          When she passed through the doorway, his breath exhaled.  He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it.  At the same moment, he noticed his hand against his face and he immediately dropped it, feeling his face heat in embarrassment.  With a _bamf!_ he went to his room.

          There, he allowed himself to touch his cheek again.  Suddenly, he was grinning crazily.  He felt like doing leaps and flips, twists and turn, performing...performing only for Ororo.

          Ororo...his _liebe_.  Yes.  She would take care of everybody, but he would take care of her.

AN: Hmm, I had some difficulty writing this one, as...I've never seen X-men 2!  Or read the comics.  All I've seen is the original X-men movie, which unfortunately doesn't have Kurt in it.  Bleh.  Well, I'm sorry for mistakes and/or OCness – I would be happy to fix anything!  :)  Reviews are welcome!


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